Alan Belkin: What you need to know

Entitled, "What you need to know", this article is a good summary of the definition and functions of various aspects and techniques of musical composition and orchestration. This also clarifies and disputes common misconceptions and assumptions made by students in composing and composers who may not have spent enough time studying these aspects to truly understand the usage of these techniques.

I am still trying to read up on what these things mean, so it is quite profound for me at this point.